Daily Archives: March, 25, 2012

Sen. Chuck Schumer, appearing on CBS’s Face the Nation, Sunday morning, told Nora O’Donnell that he is asking the Justice Department to expand its investigation of the Trayvon Martin shooting to examine controversial “stand your ground” laws in Florida and other states.

“I am sending a letter to the Justice Department to ask them to expand their investigation into the general application of these ‘stand your ground’ laws, whether they actually increase, rather than decrease, violence, and whether they actually prevent law enforcement from prosecuting cases where a real crime has been committed,” said Schumer, a senior Democrat who serves on the Senate Judiciary Committee.

Gosh — I wonder where Holder is going to come down on this one? Do you think he’ll be willing to expand the Justice Department’s investigation into the case to look into these liberalized self-defense laws known as “stand your ground”? The suspense is killing me.

Schumer said:

“This ‘stand your ground’ law is a whole new concept in our jurisprudence. It basically says if you fear great physical harm, you can shoot. Some people call it ‘shoot first, ask questions later.”

Asked whether he would like to see Capitol Hill hearings on the laws, he replied: “I hope so. I think that we should examine these laws. They are all new. They have passed very, very quickly and I think the states who passed them, if they find out the real facts, may decide to repeal them.”

Well, since Schumer’s in the mood to hold hearings, can we expect a Senate hearing on the ATF’s disastrous gun-walking operations that have led to the deaths of over 300 Mexicans and two U.S. federal agents?